Mavericks' unavoidable Klay Thompson disaster has just begun

At 3-7, practically every game at home or against a sub-500 opponent is a must-win for the Dallas Mavericks, as Dallas starts a four-game homestand tonight versus the Milwaukee Bucks. Coming off a gritty win versus an abysmal Washington Wizards team, the Mavericks got an uptick in offensive production from Naji Marshall and Brandon Williams in that game, but it will be far more difficult to translate that level of play versus the Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

There's seemingly no imminent solution to Dallas' league-worst offensive rating, as even some of the strings head coach Jason Kidd has pulled haven't worked up to this point, such as benching Klay Thompson in lieu of D'Angelo Russell. While Thompson has said all the right things in the media in regard to being benched, he could become discontent with his role if he continues to come off the bench, as this was a huge factor in him wanting out of his situation with the Golden State Warriors.

Don't get it twisted, Kidd made the right move to bring Thompson off the bench considering how terribly Thompson has shot the ball through nine games, as Thompson is averaging just 7.6 points per game while shooting 31.6 percent from the field, and 26.4 percent from outside.

Thompson hated his bench role in GS, and it could be the same in Dallas

However, Kidd emphasized this would only be a temporary solution, but with how badly Dallas needs shot creation in their starting five, as well as Thompson's shooting slumping, this could end up being more of a permanent fixture than Kidd is saying.

In the two games Russell has started in place of Thompson, Dallas lost both contests, and their offensive woes weren't really mitigated, but whether it's Russell or Williams, Dallas has at least looked more fluid offensively with a true point guard in the lineup.

While tanking may be in the cards for the Mavericks at some point this season if they continue to play at this level, it's too early in the season to go there yet, so it'd be malpractice by Kidd to re-insert Thompson into the starting lineup at any point soon unless his shooting takes a drastic turnaround.

If Thompson is still on the roster by the time Kyrie Irving gets back into the mix, then perhaps there would be a conversation to start him, given he'd be playing alongside a dynamic ball handler and distributor at that point, but starting Thompson right now isn't the solution that will help Dallas win games.

As aforementioned, Thompson is very prideful regarding his career success and role, and he didn't come to Dallas to come off the bench, considering how unhappy he was in that role for 14 games with the Warriors in the 2023-24 season.

With the infrastructure of this Mavericks team being wildly different compared to what Thompson thought he was getting himself into now that Luka Doncic is gone, there could be a disconnect brewing between the 35-year-old and the Mavericks if his shooting struggles persist and he continues to come off the bench, so Mavericks fans should keep tabs on Thompson as a prime trade candidate until something changes.

The Mavericks are expected to shop Thompson on the trade market, and these rumors, combined with his poor play and being sent to the bench, hint that the drama is just beginning.